Proximity
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: This unrequited love might not be as bad as they think... [For Ami. Happy RWBY Tuesday!]
1. Painting Nails

**This fic is dedicated to amipiai on tumblr! Ami is an amazing artist who has drawn _amazing_ illustrations for several of my RWBY fics that can be found at amipiai,tumblr,com/post/72347961823 and at /post/71553188589 (just use periods). They're phenomenal, and my only means of thanking her is to dedicate some of my works to her! Thank you, Ami!**

**A/N: This is a White Rose _ship_ story so don't flame me if you don't like the couple~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Proximity

Chapter 1. Painting Nails

"Ruby, sit still!"

"But I have an itch!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Where is it?"

"On my nose!"

Weiss quickly silenced her partner with a flick to the indicated spot.

"There. Now stop fussing and let me do this."

"Ugh, but it's so boriiing."

"_Excuse_ me? Who was it who agreed to this idea in the first place?"

"...Me..." Ruby muttered.

"That's right. Now sit still and let me do this..."

They were in the bathroom at the moment, Weiss having pushed Ruby down to have a seat on the edge of the bathtub as the heiress fumbled with a bag of cosmetics at the sink.

Weiss was well aware of the fact that she had not always been the best teammate to Ruby. Quite frankly, her tart comments and tendency to shoot down Ruby's ideas as though they were lame birds had become almost a hobby for the heiress.

It had taken some time for Weiss to correct her attitude, but she recognized there was still much to be desired about her's and Ruby's relationship. _No, not in _that_ way... _Weiss chided herself silently as she felt her heart kick things up a notch. _We're not like that. We're just teammates. That's all..._

She had remembered the sarcastic things she had hummed to Ruby the second time they had met. Ruby had offered her hand, requesting to spend some time together with Weiss in order to get to know her. Weiss had replayed the scene over in her mind many times and could recall precisely how she had replied: "_Yeah! And we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!" _

Whatever urgings had possessed her to presently go along with her previously-bitter words, Weiss did not know.

All she knew was that right now she had Ruby sitting in front of her with red polish smeared all over her left hand.

Due to her insistent restlessness and total lack of self-control, Ruby succumbed to every little tick and twitch that came her way. She would unknowingly curl her fingers as Weiss was painting her accursed nails, causing her partner to misplace the brush. She would jerk back entirely, exaggeratedly enough to almost topple backward into the tub due to the slightest tickle. She even sneezed directly onto Weiss without warning once.

That had been the point when Weiss had just about smashed the bottle in her hands to the ground and stormed out; if not for the thought tacked to the back of her mind reminding her of how she was supposed to be Ruby's best teammate, she might have done just that.

But she had bitten her tongue, quite literally, to prevent from bursting out as Ruby apologized profusely, and Weiss had merely washed herself off before continuing the torturous procedure.

Even now, Ruby still continued to squirm and wiggle about like a rebellious child being prepped for a banquet.

"How much longer?" She asked.

"Well, _perhaps_ if you would stop fidgeting about like Blake in the fish section of the grocery store, I could _actually_ make contact with your nails instead of _every other part of your body_." Somehow Ruby had managed to get red paint on her cheeks and forehead, but Weiss did not even bother wondering how anymore.

"But it tickles..." She whined.

"Like I said, this was something you _eagerly_ agreed to." _Even if I was just pulling your leg with the suggestion. _"So stop complaining and let me do this." Weiss said as she finished Ruby's left hand at long last and straightened up to observe her work. "...I think it suits you." She declared with a small smirk.

"Really?"

"Of course." And she was not just saying that to encourage Ruby to be still as she went in for the right hand; Weiss truly did find that seeing her brazen leader with painted nails was quite charming.

"If... If you say so..."

Weiss's comment actually seemed to do the trick and clam Ruby up for a few minutes. This allowed for the heiress to reach down and take Ruby's right hand in her own, feeling the difference in their body temperatures as she did so. _I'd expect nothing less from Yang's sister_. Weiss thought absentmindedly as she began to paint over Ruby's thumb.

Ruby remembered to separate her fingers without Weiss telling her this time, and the painting of her right hand went significantly smoother and cleaner than that of the left. Perhaps, Weiss mused, it was because her leader had finally understood the meticulous work of the craft.

Or perhaps it was because Ruby was too fixated on Weiss's proximity that she did not dare to move.

She sat with her back straight, hovering backward over the bathtub almost far enough to fall over. Weiss was so close, leaning over Ruby's lap as she held her hand. She smelled of boundless oceans and snow-covered meadows, and even though the scent was so intoxicatingly wonderful, Ruby was finding it more difficult to breathe by the second.

_Oh god! She's so close!_ Ruby was sure Weiss could feel the sweatiness of her palms, hear the turmoil within her ribcage, see the blood rushing to her face... _No._ She reminded herself. _We're not like that. We're just teammates..._

There was a bit of a sinking feeling in her chest as she reminded herself, and Ruby let out the breath she had been holding as Weiss momentarily looked away to dab more polish onto the small brush. The angle of her flawless face at that moment clearly showed the pink scar over her left eye. Ruby had never seen Weiss so closely before, and from where she sat now she could easily see the wrinkles of skin around the edges of the scar, her pale complexion forever stained pink with stitches of white that could never fully heal.

Ruby was overwhelmed with the urge to reach forward and brush her warm fingers over the wound. But more than anything, she needed to resist the urge to pull Weiss into a tight embrace and kiss her.

_Ugh, no!_ She shouted to herself. _Why do I keep thinking like this? It's not like that between us!_ Well, even if it was that way for Ruby, she was certain that Weiss did not harbor reciprocating emotions.

Feeling a bit more disillusioned now, Ruby forced her conflicting emotions to die down as she waited for Weiss to finish.

"There." The heiress let out a satisfied sigh as she straightened up to admire her work of Ruby's right hand. She then took a cloth from the sink, wetted it, and returned to her leader. Weiss got down on one knee as she took Ruby's left hand and began cleaning off the excess paint from her skin.

Ruby was unable to stop her mind from exploding with imaginative scenes. _Nah, Weiss would never be the one to propose._ She mused in spite of herself. _I'd make sure to knock her off her feet!_

"Ruby!"

"Gaaah! Y-Yes?"

"I said you're all set."

"Huh? Oh..." Ruby pulled her gaze away from Weiss's as she stared down at her hands. She could never remember having her nails painted before, even if Yang had occasionally liked to make Ruby her plaything in the past. Yet Ruby could not deny that she rather enjoyed being fussed over by Weiss.

Her nails did look fairly appealing, she had to admit, much more so than she would have thought they would look. Weiss had a knack for neatness, and the attention she had put into painting Ruby's nails was visible in the strong color and shine of the layers.

Just then, the heiress's grumpy huff brought Ruby's attention back to her.

"Oh, honestly..."

"What is it?"

"Your hair."

"What about it?"

"You've got polish in it, you dunce!"

"Uhh..."

"You were fiddling with your hair while I wasn't looking, weren't you?"

Ruby said nothing.

"Honestly." Weiss mumbled again. She got to her feet and pulled Ruby up with her, dragging her unceremoniously over to the sink. "Now _do not move_. I'm serious this time."

Weiss dunked Ruby's head down slightly as she grabbed the cloth and ran it through her partner's hair in an attempt to clean out the stained strands.

"W-Weiss..." Ruby did not think she could handle having Weiss hover over her so closely. "I-I'm okay, really-"

"Save it." Weiss snapped. "Do you have _any_ idea how much this could damage your hair? Not that it isn't _already_ as messy as a nest of Rapier Wasps... Now stay still."

Weiss continued to run warm water through Ruby's hair, and the brunette shivered; however she was unsure of whether that was due to the water, or the fact that Weiss's hands were pressing onto her shoulders and it was a bit of a guilty pleasure for Ruby.

Before very long, the faucet was silenced as Weiss sought out a dry towel which she promptly draped onto her partner's head. She then ruffled the towel vigorously through Ruby's damp hair, causing her head to shake back and forth. The motion left Ruby dizzy when Weiss was finished.

"There. Maybe this will teach you to be more careful next time."

_Next time... _Ruby repeated to herself. She was not sure if she would be able to survive spending another session like this alone with Weiss, what with her beautiful face mere inches away from her own, the heiress's natural scent luring Ruby in by the second as if to bait and torment her of the prize she could never have...

She shook her head from side to side; even if it was just an unrequited crush, that was no reason not to enjoy her time together with Weiss to the fullest.

"Do you want me to paint _your_ nails now?" Ruby offered, bouncing a little.

Weiss almost choked on her scoff.

"Are you serious?" She spoke in a manner not intending to be mean, but more amused than anything. "After _that_ performance? Sorry, but I think I can handle myself."

"What if I ordered you as your leader to let me do it?" Ruby was only half-kidding.

"...You are _such_ a child." Weiss sounded incredulous at Ruby's conceitedness. "Fine then. Do your worst." She sat down in Ruby's previous spot on the edge of the bathtub, crossing one leg over her knee as she held out her hands to Ruby.

To be honest, Ruby was taken aback that the heiress had consented.

"Ah... um... W-What color do you want?" She asked, quickly going through the bag Weiss had placed on the sink.

"Surprise me."

Ruby had to resist the urge to select red, the same color as her own. While Weiss's outfit did show peeks of the color, she felt it would not go well with her partner overall.

Considering how greatly she was lacking in the creative dress-up department, Ruby went with the unoriginal selection of light blue.

As she knelt down before Weiss and reached for her hand, Ruby realized that aside from tugging a brush through the mane of gold that Yang called hair, she had never done anything particularly like this with another female friend before.

She swallowed hard as she slipped her right hand beneath Weiss's, feeling the cold chill of her skin. Past the pungent smell of the nail polish, Ruby could just barely detect the familiar scent of winter, and she smiled.

"What are you waiting for?" Weiss demanded. "Get on with it..." She turned her head to one side. Ruby liked to believe she saw a blush there, but assumed it was only her imagination.

She was unaware of the fact that she was precisely correct, as Weiss felt the warmth rushing to her cheeks and made sure Ruby would not get the satisfaction of seeing it.

She felt Ruby begin to apply the brush to her nails, and Weiss suppressed a shiver. It really did tickle.

All her life, Weiss had been pampered, majorly against her will, until it had just become clockwork. But the dehumanizing routine she had gone through on a daily basis back then was nothing like Ruby's treatment now. Her hands were clumsy and uncertain, but they were also very soft and warm.

Weiss felt a tightness in her chest as her heart pounded a little harder, but she ignored it. She was disgusted with herself for sinking to such a level when all Ruby had done was make contact with her hand.

As Ruby silently continued her work, Weiss realized just how focused she was, and casually tilted her head back to observe her hands. She almost gasped aloud with how impressed she was, as Ruby had not allowed a single drop to leek onto Weiss's skin. Her strokes of the brush were a bit wobbly at first, but gradually gained confidence.

Weiss watched her in silence, unaware of the smirk curling her lips as she watched Ruby who was so intently tending to her nails. She would reach back to the bottle to dab on some more polish without even taking her eyes away from Weiss's hands.

The heiress had to admit she was beginning to feel incredibly self-conscious now, but it was a great contrast to the hollowness she used to feel back when she was younger; back then, she was not allowed to fidget or even to speak. But now that she was in Ruby's care, Weiss was free to breathe easily, enough to smile.

At last, Ruby sat back onto the ground with an accomplished sigh.

"How do they look?"

Weiss lifted her hands before her face, her mist-blue eyes flicking over each colored portion.

"It's nothing professional..." She murmured. "But not bad, Red." The smile that comment earned from Ruby caused Weiss to smile briefly in return. She then got to her feet and offered Ruby her hand. "Come on, let's clean this up."

Ruby hesitated for a moment, appearing to have a troubling thought on her mind, but soon accepted her hand. Weiss pulled her up, and together they began cleaning up the bathroom, scrubbing off any nail polish that had strayed onto the porcelain. Once they had finished, the two girls ended up face to face, blinking at one another.

"So..." Ruby cleared her throat. "What now?"

"Oh, you don't think we're done yet, do you?"

"I-I don't-"

Weiss gave a small smirk. "Don't you remember? Painting our nails was only the first thing on the list, you know."

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**A/N: Sorry for such a short first chapter, but the last two will be a bit longer! See you next week for chapter 2!**

**Please review!**


	2. Trying On Clothes

**Thank you for all the support from chapter 1! Please enjoy!**

**For Ami~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 2. Trying On Clothes

"Weiss, where are we going?"

"Perhaps you could stop _asking_ and just figure it out for yourself when we get there?"

Weiss strode a pace ahead of her as Ruby trotted to catch up. After cleaning up the bathroom following their nail-painting antics, she had been promptly led by Weiss out of the room, out of the Academy, and into the streets of Vale.

Ruby blinked as she watched Weiss strut along, her flowing, alabaster hair swaying slightly from side to side, the edges of her skirt bouncing with every step, the occasional flash of blue from the tips of her fingers shining in the sunlight...

Ruby knew she had been focusing too much of her energy on worrying about trivial things, so much so that she had neglected to enjoy her time with Weiss; it did not matter whether the heiress felt the same way about her. Ruby just wanted to be by her side.

Feeling a bit more rejuvenated, Ruby cracked a smile as she bounded up to walk alongside her partner. But as she did so, her hand unintentionally brushed against Weiss's, and despite her desires to hold on, Ruby recoiled.

Weiss sucked in a sharp breath as she felt yet another blush coming on, but she pretended to ignore the contact. "Just a little further..." She muttered, quickening her pace.

However, what Weiss intended to be a cover-up for embarrassment, Ruby took as a rejection. _But I knew all along things couldn't be like that between us..._ She reminded herself yet again in an attempt to cheer up.

The confusing thoughts dissipated when Weiss called back to her. "Here we are!" She placed her hands on her hips triumphantly. Ruby slid up to peek around her shoulder.

It was a fairly new shop, and judging by the displays in the windows, it was clear that it was a clothing store. Just the initial glimpse alone was enough to leave Ruby's mouth slightly ajar.

"Whoa..."

"Trying on clothes was the second thing on our list, if you recall." Weiss reminded her. "Although I can't promise I won't end up buying something at the end of it all..."

"Wow..." Ruby mumbled again. Her uncertainties were pushed to the back of her mind for now, smothered by excitement and anticipation. "Wow, wow! I can't believe this!" _I get to go shopping with Weiss! _"Let's go!"

All previous doubts and troubles drifted away and Ruby did not hesitate to reach for Weiss's hand this time. The heiress made no moves to shake her off as Ruby led her into the shop.

Before them were aisles of various clothing; formal wear, casual clothes, sleepwear, combat attire... The walls were lined with shelves of accessories and trinkets, and Ruby immediately began mentally dressing Weiss in everything she saw. Aside from her school uniform and sleepwear, Ruby could not remember ever seeing Weiss dressed in anything but her combat skirt.

"Ahem." Weiss cleared her throat meaningfully to get her attention. "Well then... where should we start?"

Ruby's eyes were gleaming with delight, and Weiss knew that any amount of pointless dress-up was worth that reward.

"L... Let's go to the casual clothes first!"

Still holding Weiss's hand, Ruby charged down the aisle with her partner in tow.

Ruby contented herself with browsing through every rack of clothing in her path while Weiss's eyes silently scoured the selection, trying to see if anything matched her sophisticated pallet. Ruby grabbed piece after piece of clothing, unable to remember the last time she had actually gone shopping.

As her leader eagerly collected her garments, Weiss pawed through the selection more slowly, calculating. She did happen to find a dress that was an appealing shade of red, but she clicked her tongue in annoyance when she saw how short it was. However, as she was putting it back, Ruby crept up beside her.

"You should try it on!" She said encouragingly. "Look, I already have all of these for you to wear!"

"Wha-?! Those are for _me_?" Weiss's jaw hung slack.

"Yeah! I know you'll look great in anything!" As soon as Ruby realized that what she had said was slightly embarrassing and hinted at her feelings, her smile faltered. Weiss also blushed, but she covered it up with a cough.

"Well... I supposed if you've already gone through the trouble of picking them out... I'll wear them."

"Wow, really?"

"Just... ugh, hurry up before I change my mind!" Grabbing Ruby's sleeve, Weiss dragged her over to the changing rooms. "You've got to change into something, too, got it?"

"Of course!" Ruby nodded.

She then handed Weiss one of the outfits she had selected for her and pushed her into the nearest changing room. Weiss grumbled under her breath but went in nonetheless.

She made absolutely sure to lock the door before she unraveled the outfit Ruby had handed to her. It was simple enough, a white blouse dress-shirt with frills all down the front, along with a light blue... miniskirt.

Weiss slammed the door open as she exited the changing room, muttering under her breath all the while.

"Weiss?" Ruby called from her room. "Wait, Weiss, don't leave without me!" Ruby quickly hurried to dress herself into the outfit she had chosen - a black top and red mini skirt with black knee socks.

She then hastily burst out of the room to scour the store for her partner, and was surprised when she realized Weiss had not deserted her as she had anticipated. Ruby could hear grumblings and mutterings from the changing room beside her own and stepped back as she waited patiently for her partner to emerge.

When she finally did, Ruby could not hope to suppress the blush that spread across her cheeks.

Weiss wore the same white top and skirt Ruby had selected for her, but had apparently disliked the length of the skirt and gone out to retrieve some black tights as well.

"This feels so strange..." The heiress mumbled, fiddling with the sleeves. The blouse was a perfect fit for Weiss's slim torso, the ruffles flowing in all the right places to show off her humble figure. Her hair reached down her side to the ends of the blue miniskirt which swayed ever so slightly as she walked into view.

Of course, Ruby was smitten, even more so than usual, but there was something about Weiss wearing those black tights that sent a shiver up her spine.

"I think it... looks really good on you..." Ruby forced her voice to stay still.

"What was that pause for?" Weiss narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"It's not what you think!" Ruby quickly threw her hands up. _The exact opposite, actually! _It was not that Ruby did not like Weiss's current appearance, but rather she could hardly keep herself from squealing and throwing her arms around the heiress and twirling her around to kiss her.

"Whatever..." The heiress huffed. "I won't be buying it anyway." She then took a second to appreciate Ruby's outfit. "...I think that suits you." She commented carefully. In truth, she was rather enjoying seeing Ruby in casual clothes, the knee socks and skirt in particular bringing out her childish charm.

"Y-You really think so?" Ruby looked up hopefully.

"Why would I lie about something like that?" Weiss huffed. She slipped away for a second to pull a dress out from one of the clothing racks. "I think this would look great on you, too." Ruby gave a bounce of cheer as she dashed off to select Weiss's next outfit.

They exchanged the clothes before returning to the changing rooms. "I'll wait for you first." Weiss decided, taking a seat on a small bench outside the changing rooms; she wanted all of the focus to be on Ruby, and did not want her partner's attention to be distracted by Weiss's own change of clothes.

"But, are you gonna-"

"Yes, I'll go next." Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "Just go change. I want to see how it looks on you."

Ruby felt a blush coming on and quickly ducked away behind the changing room door. She fought the blood rush the entire time as she slipped into the dress, peeking at herself in the full-body mirror. _She thinks I look good in this?_ It was a short-sleeved pink dress that puffed out about the waist with white socks to accompany it. Ruby grimaced as she slowly creaked open the door.

Weiss perked up when she heard the sound and straightened her posture as Ruby emerged.

"Uh, Weiss?" She was mumbling. "I don't really think-" But she cut off instantly when Weiss quickly stood up and hurried over to her. Weiss gave her partner a thorough inspection, muttering under her breath as she turned Ruby around at every angle. "Uh, Weiss-"

"Something's definitely missing..." The heiress said to herself. She swooped around Ruby again before stepping back to take in her appearance from afar. She stared long enough for Ruby's blush to return, her face matching her dress.

At last, Weiss's thoughtful expression changed when her eyes widened."Aha!" She dashed off through the aisles, leaving her partner confused and nervous. But the heiress returned not a moment later with a white and pink polka-dotted headband, complete with a red rose on the side. She brushed Ruby's think brown hair back as her cool fingers slipped the piece onto her head, Ruby holding her breath the entire time due to the minimum distance between them.

"There." Weiss stepped back to admire the final product of her superb fashion senses. The dress, socks, and headband were all complimented by Ruby's temporary red nail polish and naturally rouge-tinged hair. Her silver eyes fit quite nicely with the color scheme as well, and Weiss felt rather satisfied with the end result.

"S-So... how does it look?" Ruby was still waiting for her to say something.

"Wonderful!" Weiss nearly sang the word. "The colors are balanced so perfectly! Plus, it's a bit of a childish look, so it suits you just fine." Ruby puffed out one cheek into a pout, but more than anything was happy the heiress felt that way. "I daresay I did a splendid job in selecting your outfit!" Weiss smiled.

"Okay..." Ruby picked up the clothes she had chosen for Weiss. "Then it's your turn."

"Fine, fine." Weiss accepted the articles of clothing from Ruby before retreating to her changing room.

Ruby debated taking off the dress, but decided she wanted to make sure she saw Weiss the second she emerged. It took a little longer than she assumed it would, but when the door finally opened, Ruby jumped up eagerly to glimpse her partner.

"This isn't exactly the most... flattering attire..." Weiss huffed slightly as she glanced down at herself.

Ruby had selected a black blazer and purple blouse for her, which tucked into an ankle-length gray pencil skirt that beautifully accented her slim figure. Her white hair spilling slightly over her right shoulder only accented the darker colors more.

Ruby swallowed back the squeal she felt coming on.

"Wow, that's... that's really nice on you." She coughed.

Weiss was thankful she had not chosen anything that fell above knee-length, but she tilted her head to one side as Ruby brought her fingers to her chin.

"Hmm... it needs something more, though..." Her leader mumbled. "Oh! Oh! I've got it! Wait here!" After bouncing up and down a few times, it was Ruby's turn to dash off down the aisles, leaving a spray of rose petals in her wake. She was back within the blink of an eye, and Weiss was still brushing parts of flowers off her shoulders.

"Here!"

When Weiss looked up to see what it was Ruby had brought for her, she very nearly lost an eye when Ruby slid the red-rimmed glasses onto her nose.

"What the-?" Weiss took a step back. "Everything's so blurry." Squinting in order to adjust her vision, it took the heiress a minute to get her bearings.

During that minute, Ruby was biting her tongue extremely hard in order to prevent herself from squealing; the professional look fit so well with Weiss it was almost a crime.

"Oh, wait, wait! Let me just try one last thing!" Ruby jumped up and down again.

"What else can you do to me?"

"Just wait for a second!" Ruby zipped behind her partner and removed her ponytail with one swift motion, causing alabaster tresses to cascade all down her back.

"Ruby!" Weiss barked. "What in the world-"

"Hold on! It'll take two seconds!" Ruby carefully gathered Weiss's hair before twisting it all up into a messy bun and securing it. At last, she stepped back to take in this view of her partner.

"Ah, Ruby?"

"Y...Yes?"

"Your nose is bleeding."

"Is it? That's nice..."

"You dunce! Come here!" Weiss dragged her to the restrooms and wetted a paper towel before cleaning off her partner's face, all the while lecturing her about her carelessness. But Ruby was on cloud nine, too airily amused to care about any of the scolding. "Ruby, are you even listening to me?"

"Hah- wha-?" Ruby snorted as she woke herself up from her reverie.

"I _said_ you should take better care of yourself, you dunce." Weiss repeated herself. "How did you even manage to get a nosebleed in the first place?"

"Oh, I think I have an idea..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Weiss gave her a short glare before leading her back to the changing rooms. As much as Ruby hated to see Weiss change out of her present outfit, there were several others she needed to see her wear; unbeknownst to her, Weiss felt the same way.

They spent two hours in the store, picking out clothes for the other to try on.

At one point, Ruby had given Weiss an extremely short dress, and the heiress had stomped out of the dressing room having refused to put it on. She punished Ruby by forcing her to wear a one-piece pajama set that looked like a puppy.

However, one of Ruby's more successful choices for Weiss had been a white blazer and similar dress pants. Weiss had not liked the restricting material, but Ruby could not get enough of it, especially after she took Weiss's hair down.

As for the heiress, she was proud of every piece she had Ruby wear. However, she was undoubtedly most fond of her final selection which Ruby was wearing at present. The last theme was party-wear, and while Weiss was taking quite a liking to her own long, white dress, she truly fancied Ruby's much more.

Her partner had a very mature figure when dressed in the correct clothes, and the long crimson dress did her taller figure much justice. Weiss finished wrapping a loose, black scarf about her partner's shoulders, clutching her own silver shawl to her chest as she felt her heart rate quicken.

"Well, Ruby," she sighed. "I think I can officially say this is the finest you've ever looked." If Ruby had not been so utterly smitten with Weiss's appearance, she would have said the same to her. "Then, I guess we should be heading back for now."

Weiss took care to step slowly as she disappeared into her changing room, Ruby watching her all the while until she disappeared. It certainly was not easy seeing the heiress dressed up in so many adorable and befitting outfits and not being able to do anything more than smile.

Ruby let out a long sigh, happy with the results of their shopping adventures, even though her chest was still knotted with unrequited emotions. She slunk back to change to her usual attire, unaware of Weiss who was suffering similar troubles on the other side of the wall.

_Okay_. The heiress said to herself. _Was it just me, or did she look gorgeous in all of those clothes? _And she was sure it was not because Weiss herself had chosen the outfits; Ruby simply looked great in anything and everything. _Or is that just because she's Ruby...?_

Weiss shook the confusing thoughts away as she felt her heart acting up again. She managed to change back into her own clothes as she pushed the images of Ruby in those dresses and skirts to the back of her mind.

The two girls exited their respective changing rooms at the same time, both gathering their clothes and spreading out to different parts of the store to put them back. However, both of them ended up walking out of the store with a small bag in their hands.

"You bought something, too?" Weiss asked curiously.

"Yeah. What did you buy?"

"It's nothing." How was she supposed to tell Ruby she had bought her partner's favorite outfit for her behind her back?

Likewise, Ruby held off on telling Weiss about what she had bought for the heiress; surely she would find the appropriate time eventually.

The two partners then began their walk back toward Beacon Academy. Ruby was absolutely astounded at how lucky she was, getting to do such fun things with Weiss all day long, and she could not help but think the proximity between them had lessened, if only just a bit.

_First we painted our nails, then tried on clothes... _

Then, as if reading her thoughts, Weiss spoke up.

"There's still one more thing we have to do."

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**A/N: Oh, how lame this is, am I right? But I think you'll like the final chapter so I'll let it slide.**

**Please review!**


	3. Talk About

**At long last, the final chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

**Dedicated to the wonderful Ami!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Chapter 3. Talk About...

_What is happening? _

Ruby sat on her bed in her pajamas, her ears picking up on the sounds of running water.

_What is going on? _

If she listened closely enough, she could just barely make out the angelic sounds of Weiss's soft humming.

_What does this mean?_

But she was too flustered to enjoy the beautiful sound right now.

Ruby had just gotten out of the shower herself, and her clammy hands had stopped padding the towel through her sopping hair when Weiss had spoken to her:

_"There's still one thing left we've got to do, right? We can do that once I've showered._"

The heiress had then disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Ruby frozen in the same position she sat in now for the past ten minutes. Her emotions had gone on enough of a spastic roller coaster throughout the course of their partnership, but today had felt like a tornado in addition to all of that. Her chest felt as though it was filled with stuffing, suffocatingly warm, yet somehow soft at the same time.

Ruby recalled word for word what Weiss had so sarcastically said to her upon their second meeting there at Beacon, her voice dripping with mock excitement: "_Yeah! And we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys..."_

In the eagerness of the moment, in wanting to get to know Weiss more, Ruby had quickly agreed, hopeful and enthralled, only to be shot down a second later.

At the time, she had considered herself foolish for thinking she could ever be worthy of taking position as such a beautifully refined person's companion. But somehow, the fates had allowed them to be brought together, closer and closer by the day until finally they had reached this point.

It brought a smile to Ruby's lips every day just thinking about how lucky she was for getting to stand beside the heiress, to sleep in the same room as her, to study with her, to eat her meals with her...

But as the distance between them lessened, the pain only worsened as Ruby constantly reminded herself that friends was all they could ever be.

Several times, she had been tempted to ask Weiss about any potential boyfriends she may have had in the past, or whether she had her eye on anyone at the moment. Unfortunately, her nerves had gotten the better of her every time and she had refrained at the last second on each account.

No matter how happy it made Ruby to get to be with Weiss every day, it was certainly cruel for there to be one border she could never cross.

The sounds of running water brought her back into reality as Ruby heaved a long sigh, half-heartedly continuing to dry her hair. A few moments later, the water stopped, then the hair dryer was turned on, and Ruby knew she only had a short time left to think about what she should say. _I'll just tell her I've got a crush on some guy._ She decided.

Meanwhile, just a few feet away on the other side of the bathroom door, Weiss stood drying her hip-length, alabaster hair in her blue nightgown. _This is a problem_. She frowned at herself in the mirror before looking away. _ I knew how to go about the nail-painting and clothes shopping, but I haven't a clue how to hold a conversation about... boys._

It was even more difficult when she considered she had hardly met a decent one in all her life. Her family was full of conceited men with powerful fists and bellowing voices. When they were not shouting orders or cursing the White Fang, they were cunning businessmen who would put their loved one's lives on the line just for a cent more.

And save a few, most of the boys she had met at Beacon were the same, deceitful cheaters and habitual liars who cared for nothing but reputation and pleasure. To be quite honest, most males frightened her to some extent. How was she supposed to talk to Ruby about a topic on which she held no beneficial knowledge whatsoever?

Weiss winced as she felt an intense heat on her right shoulder and realized she had been daydreaming in her thoughts, neglecting the hair dryer long enough to leave a small scorch mark there. Flicking the appliance off in annoyance, Weiss ran her cold hand under even colder water and pressed her palm to the minor burn until the throbbing died away.

_Well, I have no idea what to talk about... _Perhaps Ruby would just go off rambling all on her own like she did with any other conversation. Weiss could handle that; she secretly liked to listen to Ruby talk.

But a small twinge ran through her chest when Weiss thought about Ruby eagerly talking about someone else, an admirable sparkle in her eyes as she went off on a lovestruck discourse about some wretched boy.

It was then Weiss decided she would personally put an end to any boy that may try to harm Ruby. If her partner ever got a boyfriend, Weiss would watch him like a falcon, waiting for the slightest slip-up so she had an excuse to strike and chase him off.

Satisfied with this fantasy, Weiss left the bathroom at last, steamy air following her into the bedroom where her partner still sat atop her mattress.

"Ruby?" Weiss called up at the girl who seemed to be half asleep. "What are you doing? You hair is still sopping wet! Get down here this instant!" The heiress stomped her foot, jabbing her index finger to the floor.

Ruby snapped out of her tumult of thoughts as she looked up and realized Weiss had emerged, her cheeks still slightly pink from her warm shower. "Huh? Oh, um...right."

Ruby slid to the edge of her bed and hopped down, landing lightly. Weiss pulled out the chair from the desk near the bathroom and motioned for Ruby to take a seat as she fumbled with the wire to the hair dryer. Ruby sat down quietly as Weiss moved to stand behind her.

"You dunce," she scolded. "If you go to sleep with wet hair and don't dry it properly first, you'll catch a cold. What are we supposed to do if our leader gets sick?" _Although I might not mind nursing you back to health, if need be._

"Oh, sorry..." Ruby was so stiff she could hardly reply.

"As long as you understand." Weiss chided gently.

She then turned on the hair dryer and began running her cool fingers through Ruby's damp tresses, which felt rather soothing in contrast to the hot air. Occasionally, her fingertips would stray onto the back of Ruby's neck, causing her to shiver.

"Honestly, Red," Weiss muttered. "Why are you so tense? Loosen up." She placed a hand on her shoulder and gave Ruby a small shake for emphasis. Ruby did her best to obey, leaning against the chair, the back of her head brushing slightly up against her partner's stomach.

Ruby struggled between trying to both breathe and hold her breath at the same time as Weiss continued to dry her hair. Meanwhile, the heiress was relieved her leader could not see her face right now, as she was certain it was slightly red.

"So..." Weiss cleared her throat meaningfully as she spoke over the sounds of the machine. "Now we've got to... talk about cute boys, right?" She did her best not to scoff distastefully.

Ruby mumbled her response under her breath. "Can we talk about cute girls instead? Because there's only one I really want to talk about..." _Who happens to be driving me crazy right now..._

"What was that?" Weiss turned off the hair dryer.

"Nothing!" Ruby hopped up from her seat, still facing forward. "Thanks for drying my hair." She mumbled before retreating to her bed.

"Wait..." Before she could climb up, Weiss's voice stopped her. Ruby turned her face sideways, praying her partner was too far away to notice the blush. "Do you think you could...?" But she trailed off, directing her gaze to the floor. "No, never mind."

"No, what is it?" Ruby made her way back to her partner. Weiss had no hopes of hiding her own flushed cheeks this time, so she just pretended it was not there as she looked up at her partner.

"Do you... think you could... braid my hair?" She requested.

"...If-If I could _what_?" Ruby parroted, dumbfounded.

"Only if you know how to. And only if it's not too much trouble." She grunted. "I... never learned how to do it myself and just... I figured that since we've done all these other... girly things today, that you might not be opposed to-"

"Here, sit down!" Ruby spun her partner around, pushed her over to her bed, and sat Weiss down on the edge. Ruby eagerly crawled up behind her, immediately beginning to separate her long hair into three sections.

"You-" Weiss felt slightly dizzy from the process. "You... know how to?"

"Of course I do!" Ruby stated proudly. "I used to braid Yang's hair whenever she was asleep because she wouldn't let me when she was awake. I haven't gotten to practice in a few years, but I know what I'm doing, trust me!"

"Alright, alright!" Weiss balled her hands into fists in her lap as she straightened her posture.

"You don't have to be so stiff."

"I'm not!" Weiss defended. "This is how I always sit."

"If you say so..." Ruby shrugged.

She then proceeded to smooth her partner's snowy hair out, taking extreme care not to tug or tear a single strand.

When she was younger, Weiss's hair would always be styled for her by her family's servants. They always worked with rushed, brutal hands that had not an ounce of sympathy for the pain they caused her as they yanked at her beloved tresses. Weiss remembered having to hold back tears multiple times, because a daughter of the Schnee family was not allowed to cry, especially not over something as trivial as that.

But Ruby's gentle touch now was so careful and soft it almost caused Weiss to tear up anyway. Her fingers brushed lightly against Weiss's back in a way that almost tickled, and the heiress had to restrain herself from smirking subconsciously.

Ruby wondered if they could just end the day like this and not have to worry about discussions of boys. But she knew the unavoidable issue would come up eventually, later if not sooner.

Truthfully, Ruby would prefer to get the heartbreak out of the way now rather than kid herself any longer with delusions of grandeur.

She slowly folded the sections of her partner's hair over one another until she had to speak up.

"So... about what you were saying before..." Ruby started.

"Oh... right." Weiss sniffed. "So... have you got your eye on anyone here at Beacon?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

"Really?" Weiss tried her best to sound interested, trying to fight away the hollow feeling spreading throughout her chest. "Do tell."

"Well..." Ruby mumbled. "It's a guy, of course." She lied.

"Oh..." The pain that shot through her heart was more poignant than Weiss expected it would be. "I see..."

"But, um, I don't know much about him." Ruby decided to stop her lies before she got too absorbed with them; saying anything else would only hurt more. "What about you?" She forced herself to ask.

"Ah..." Weiss realized the soft strokes of her partner's hands against her back had ceased, but still she refused to turn around. "Mmhm." She grunted in an attempt to regain her composure. "Well, of course there have been plenty who threw themselves at my feet, but I care for not a single one of them. No matter how many suitors swarm about, there's only one person I'll ever have eyes for."

Ruby swallowed. "And... who is that?"

"I am not at liberty to say." _You wouldn't feel the same way._

"Oh. Okay."

A moment of silence dragged between them, both trying to sort out their emotions.

"Ruby." Weiss finally mustered the courage to turn around on her bed to face her partner. "This... heathen you've got your eyes on, if he ever harms you in _any_ way, come to me immediately. I have countless means of making a person disappear." She growled. Ruby could tell she was half-serious, and for some reason let out a short laugh, delighted that Weiss would go so far as to be that protective of her.

"And the same goes for you." Ruby replied. "If this guy you've got your eye on ever does something you don't like, I'll never forgive him. I'll hunt him down and make him wish he'd never been born."

"I appreciate the potential acts of violence." Weiss chuckled jokingly. "You really are a great leader, you know."

"And you're the best teammate I ever could have asked for." Bashful, Ruby's eyes flickered downward for a minute, catching sight of her red nails. "Thanks for doing all of this with me today. It was really nice."

"Of course. It's only natural that the two best teammates in all of Beacon spend time together on their day off." Weiss agreed.

Another moment of silence passed between them as both girls did their best to extinguish the pain in their hearts, trying instead to focus on the happier things, like the fact that they were partners in the first place.

"Well," Ruby said at last. "It's still a bit early, Yang and Blake aren't even back yet. But I guess I'll head on up to hit the hay." She slid toward the side of the bed. "Goodnight, Weiss."

Weiss was still as she watched Ruby move away from her, but something inside her moved. She hated that scene, the scene of Ruby leaving her - detested it, loathed it; she had seen enough people leave in her lifetime, and she was not about to let Ruby be one of them.

"Ruby!" Weiss shot forward to grasp her wrist, pulling the younger girl back onto her bed.

"Y-Yeah? What is it?" Ruby was a bit uncomfortable with having Weiss touch her like that. She feared she would not be able to bear it any longer.

"I... That's not all I wanted to say..." Weiss murmured, lowering her gaze. "About the person I like, I mean."

"...Okay..." Ruby plastered a half-hearted smile, acting like she was willing to listen, but her thoughts were strained. _Please don't. I can't bear to listen to you talk about someone else..._

"Ruby..." The heiress felt twisting anxiety rise in her chest, her heart throbbing. "...It's you."

Everything froze for an instant, and Ruby stopped her subtle attempts at pulling away.

"You... What?" She coughed. "I-I'm sorry. I think I misheard you."

"You didn't." Weiss assured her. "Although, you might want to believe you did... I know it must be strange to know how I really feel about you. In fact, it might bother you too much, so if it's for the better, I could leave the team-"

"Weiss. _Weiss_!" Ruby threw her hands up to stop her from talking. "Stop!"

"You're disgusted, aren't you?"

"No!" _Quite the opposite, in fact!_

"But it could never work between us!" Her voice was getting louder with desperation.

"_Actually,_ I think it could because _I like you, too_!" Ruby shouted as she effectively cut off whatever depressing thing Weiss was about to say next. Instead, the heiress's jaw went slack as the words died on her tongue.

"You... You what?" Dumbfounded, she mumbled the same response Ruby had previously.

"Yes!" Ruby scooted up to her, but Weiss shied away.

"D-Don't lie just to be nice to me!" She snapped. "What about before when you said you had your eyes on some boy?"

"That was a lie!" Ruby exclaimed. "I was sure you didn't feel the same way about me so I lied about liking a boy. _That_ was a lie, but Weiss, I swear on my life _this is not_!"

To prove the earnestness of what she said, Ruby mustered every ounce of courage she could find within herself and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her partner's shoulders. Her greatest fear right now was being shoved away, and part of her was waiting for just that to happen, but it never did.

Weiss sat still within Ruby's embrace, barely even breathing. _Is... Is this real? _She asked herself. The warm body pressed against hers did not suffice in telling her it was. What assured Weiss it was reality was the drop that trickled down her cheek; there was no way she could be crying if this was not real, she was certain of that much.

"Ruby..." Her voice was thin, pathetically so, wavering, broken. And airy with joy. "Ruby..." This time, her voice rose in a bit of a wail as she desperately threw her arms around her partner in turn. "I didn't think this could ever happen..."

"I didn't either." Ruby nestled her face into the side of the heiress's soft neck and sighed. The coil that had been present within her since she had first laid eyes on Weiss finally did what Ruby never thought it could; it uncurled and vanished.

Suddenly, she felt everything was going to be fine. She could feel Weiss's heartbeat, rapid with elation as it thrummed within her chest, and it was a beautiful rhythm that confirmed the moment.

Weiss pulled Ruby closer to her, and she never wanted to let go, breathing in the enticing scent of roses. Ruby was equally as hesitant to pull away, but her body seemed to move on its own as she gingerly pushed Weiss back. Silver eyes locked with mist-blue, and Ruby could see her own blossoming happiness in that gaze.

Silently, she asked permission, and although Weiss was a bit tentative about it at first, she soon complied, giving a slight nod but never once taking her eyes from those pools of shimmering silver.

Ruby slid her hands to the heiress's shoulders and took a deep breath. Weiss blinked quickly several times before she let her eyelids fall shut.

Ruby pressed her lips gently against Weiss's, finally tasting the sweetness she had only dreamed about before.

Weiss flinched at the contact but she did not pull away. Although Ruby's hands were holding her still, her grip still permitted the heiress to pull away if she so desired, but Weiss did not even give the action a second thought.

Instead, she reciprocated, kissing her leader back as best she could, albeit a bit clumsily. Ruby seemed so sure of what she was doing, therefore Weiss needed to kick up her game as to not be outdone.

She leaned into the kiss a bit more, feeling the thrill of the intoxication at their intimate proximity. They had covered a distance both had assumed would always be separating them; the triumph was clear in between their lips.

Before long, the pesky entity known as oxygen intruded on their actions and forced them apart, leaving both of them breathless and rose-tinged. Their gazes remained locked as they replenished their lungs with air, Ruby reaching forward to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Weiss's ear. The heiress regained her breath first, lifting her fingers to her lips for a second before she found her voice.

"Not bad." She declared.

Ruby merely smirked in reply.

"Weeeiss," She whispered knowingly. "Was that your first kiss?"

"Wha-?!" Clearly offended, Weiss crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "Of course not! Don't be absurd."

"It totally was."

"W-Well, what did you expect?" Her voice cracked just a bit. "Did you assume I partake in such lewd activities on a daily basis?"

"Ppft. Lewd?" Ruby burst into chuckles as tears clung to her eyes.

"Stop laughing this instant!" Weiss demanded, her face as red as Ruby's nails.

"Haha, sorry, sorry!" Ruby wiped her eyes.

Weiss glared at her until her giggling ceased, by which time her own blush had faded a bit as well. Ruby had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing again as she watched Weiss puff out her cheeks in a pout.

The heiress then directed her upturned gaze back to Ruby. "S-So..." She mumbled. "Do you mean to imply that that... _wasn't_ your first kiss?"

This time it was Ruby's turn to blush. "Of course it was!" She stated.

"And yet you were so skilled..."

"Are you jealous that I'm better at kissing than you are?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Weiss snorted. "I'll silence those insolent lips and surpass you this instant!" Sliding in again, Weiss initiated the second kiss, pushing her lips against Ruby's rougher ones in an attempt to assert herself. She felt Ruby smile in amusement, which only served to fuel the heiress's chagrin, so she kissed her harder in an effort to stifle any potential comments. Ruby kept her chuckles to herself as she kissed Weiss in return, unable to get enough of the ticklish sensation.

A minute later, they broke apart again, chests heaving.

"Well...?" Weiss huffed expectantly.

Certainly the heiress had given Ruby a run for her money, but Ruby still believed she had the advantage in the kissing department.

"Not bad." She panted teasingly. "But I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. That is, if you think you can handle it."

"Ruby Rose, is that a challenge?"

"Why don't you find out?"

Their natural tendency to bicker and ruffle one another's feathers came into play as they channeled their competitiveness into their colliding lips.

They kissed several more times, their embrace tightening more with each passing second. But in the end, the fire between them died down into a steady flicker.

Their last kiss was not unlike the first - chaste, gentle, and loving - but much more confident.

At last they pulled apart, caught their breaths, locked their gazes again.

"So..." Ruby mumbled. "Is this... okay? With your family, I mean."

"You dunce." Weiss heaved a sigh. "That's hardly relevant now, considering how far we've fallen into this."

"But is it-"

"Stop fretting about it, would you?" Weiss rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine. I could care less if I get disowned. If being with you pits the entire world against me, I won't hesitate to freeze it over." She declared, looking her partner sternly in the eyes. "You're mine now, Ruby Rose."

Ruby felt a rush, a bubbling sensation rising up within her stomach.

"Right!" She beamed. "And you're mine, Weiss!" She threw her arms around the heiress and kissed her cheek.

"Please. I belong to no one." Weiss muttered. "...Is what I would have said if it wasn't you..." She returned the peck on the cheek almost begrudgingly, but smiled nonetheless. "By the way, you're going to have to explain everything to the others."

"Oh god." Ruby groaned. "Yang's never going to shut up about it."

"I know. Hence why you're going to have to deal with her."

"Ugh..."

The two girls continued to sit side-by-side on the bed, Weiss affectionately ruffling Ruby's hair.

Next, they ended up speaking simultaneously:

"Well, at least now I have a good excuse to give you that outfit."

"Wait, you bought that?"

"You are such a dork."

They chuckled a little, lightly resting their foreheads together. Ruby stole another quick kiss from her new girlfriend and Weiss flicked her nose.

"I hope you're ready to take responsibility for claiming my first kiss." Weiss cautioned. "I'll have you know it has been a childhood dream of mine to have the first person I kiss to also be the last, but most importantly, to be the only one I will _ever_ kiss."

The purity of her words touched Ruby, and she smiled again.

"How could I _ever_ want to kiss anyone else?" Ruby stole another peck on the lips.

"I couldn't possibly imagine you would." Weiss murmured smugly, stealing a kiss of her own.

Their lips came together one final time for the evening, both contentedly aware of the fact that many more would follow.

At long last, they had overcome the trials of distance that had kept them apart until now, and neither was willing to let anything come between them ever again.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks again to Ami for just being herself~**

**Next week's story is a different ballpark. Fair warning.**

**Please review!**


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